The Houston Astros are heading into spring with a familiar message from general manager Dana Brown: the infield is staying intact - for now. Speaking at the team’s media luncheon, Brown reiterated what’s become a consistent theme this offseason: the Astros are open to adding a left-handed bat, but they’re not eager to mess with the infield depth they’ve built.
“If we can trade a guy to potentially get a left-handed bat or something like that, we’ll consider it,” Brown said. “But I think right now we have a really good infield.”
That’s been the organizational stance since the GM Meetings, and it hasn’t changed much. Brown emphasized the importance of having depth over a 162-game season, especially with some of the team’s infield anchors getting up there in age. The Astros want to be able to give their veterans regular breathers - and that means keeping options on hand.
Right now, that includes Christian Walker and Isaac Paredes, two corner infielders in very different spots when it comes to trade value.
Walker, coming off a .238/.297/.421 line in his first year with Houston, is under contract for $20 million annually through his age-36 season. The power is still there - he hit 27 home runs last year and showed signs of life in the second half - but the defensive metrics dipped, and the contract makes him a tough piece to move.
Even if Houston were to eat a sizable chunk of his salary, they’re unlikely to get a significant return, especially not the kind of lefty bat they’re targeting. So unless a team surprises them with an offer, Walker’s probably staying put - not just because of the money, but because he still has value in the lineup.
Paredes, on the other hand, is a more intriguing trade chip. He just agreed to a $9.35 million salary through arbitration and is coming off a season partially derailed by a hamstring injury.
But when healthy, his bat plays. The issue?
There’s no clear everyday spot for him.
Carlos Correa is back at third base, Jeremy Peña is locked in at shortstop, and Jose Altuve isn’t moving off second base. And while Correa has the ability to slide over to short if needed, the Astros seem committed to keeping Peña there. Yordan Alvarez is expected to stay at designated hitter, which limits flexibility even further.
So where does that leave Paredes? Right now, he’s the versatile infielder who can move around and step in when one of the veterans needs a day.
And with Walker, Altuve, and Correa all in their 30s, those days are coming. Paredes’ bat is good enough that the Astros will find ways to get him in the lineup - even if it’s not in the same spot every night.
Plus, given his recent injury, some early-season rest might not be a bad thing for him either.
The team most frequently linked to Paredes in trade rumors is Boston. The Red Sox are still looking to replace Alex Bregman in the infield and have a couple of young, controllable left-handed outfielders - Wilyer Abreu and Jarren Duran - who would fit Houston’s needs perfectly.
But a straight-up swap seems unlikely. Paredes has the shortest team control window of the three, and Boston reportedly prefers top prospect Marcelo Mayer at third base.
They’re also prioritizing defense at second, which isn’t exactly Paredes’ calling card.
If a deal does materialize, it would likely take more than just Paredes going to Boston to balance things out.
Meanwhile, former first-round pick Brice Matthews is expected to start the season back at Triple-A. He flashed some exciting tools last year - 17 home runs, 41 stolen bases, and a .260/.371/.458 slash line - but the strikeouts were a concern.
Matthews went down on strikes in 28% of his plate appearances at Triple-A and whiffed 20 times in just 47 trips to the plate in the majors. Still, he’s ranked as the No. 3 prospect in a thin Astros farm system and has two minor league options remaining.
If the Astros decide to hold onto their veteran infielders, Matthews could be the piece they dangle in a trade.
Brown also mentioned that the team is still exploring free-agent options to add that elusive left-handed bat. But there’s a catch: the Astros are hovering just a few million dollars below the $244 million luxury tax threshold, and owner Jim Crane reportedly isn’t keen on going over.
That means even modest additions - like a Mike Tauchman or Adam Frazier - could eat up too much financial breathing room. Houston may need to get creative, targeting pre-arbitration lefty hitters who could be available for minimal cost. A few speculative names floating around include Daniel Schneemann, Robert Hassell III, and Yanquiel Fernández - the latter of whom is currently on waivers after being designated for assignment by Colorado.
The bottom line? The Astros are walking a tightrope.
They want to add a left-handed bat, but they’re not going to blow up their infield to do it. They’re deep, they’re experienced, and they know the value of having options over the grind of a full season.
If the right deal comes along, they’ll listen. But for now, the plan is to roll with what they’ve got - and make sure they’re ready for whatever the season throws their way.